The appetite of many preschoolers can be endless. Your child may not be aware of why he wants more food than he needs. But you need to understand his motivation besides his eating habits. Overeating is a symptom of a problem. It is not a problem itself. This problem includes many explanations like habit of eating while watching TV, boredom, mimicry, or the desire for attention. We as parents help him find ways to satisfy his needs and wants without overeating.
How to prevent this problem?
Your relationship with food is contagious, since moderation is the key to health; moderate your talk as well as your behavior. Because eating disorder in young children have become more prevalent due in part to our dieting –obsessed culture so we have to make a healthy attitude towards food . Parents should know what’s appropriate for their child. For our child’s growth rate, activity level and physical size, we should know how many servings from the five food groups (milk, meat vegetable, grain, fruit) a child needs each day. Parents should keep both high calorie and empty calorie foods out of their overeater’s reach so he won’t be tempted to grab for them. They have to serve only healthy foods to their little ones. Always keep on checking your child because preschoolers too know what they should have or not to have; it is up to you to establish healthy eating habits, the earlier you start it are better in future. Teach your child the table manners like, when, how, and where to eat. Restrict eating to the kitchen and dining room only and food should be eaten from a plate or a bowl instead of they take it direct from the refrigerator.
How to solve this problem:
Parents will have to get to know what your child likes to do besides eat, and suggest these activities after has eaten enough his hunger. Show him that there are other things to enjoy besides food. Always provide well tuned snack which can prevent your child from getting over-hungry. Keep watch when your child overeats, to find out the reason of overeating like is he bored, mad, sad or wants attention from you? Help him to solve his feelings in non eating ways like talking or playing or watching his favorite movie. Parents will have to make themselves as a role model to their child, because if parents snack on empty calorie junk food all day their children will be inclined to do the same. Try to mold your child’s food preferences by encouraging foods you want him to favor. Overweight children often don’t eat any more than normal weight children; they just burn enough calories off through exercise. Make him to do these activities like swimming, walking, baseball , and swinging which is not only good for your child’s development, they also build coordination and strength and moreover your participation will make exercise more fun for your child. And in the end I must say don’t make fun of your child if he is overweight. Making fun of your child only compounds the problem by adding to his guilt and shame.